The present disclosure describes technology related to a ball for use in a sporting activity. The technology is well suited for use in “hard-ball” sports such as baseball, lacrosse, and field hockey. Through the use of the techniques disclosed herein, a sporting goods manufacturer can generate sports balls that have advantages over those currently available. Such advantages include impact-absorbing qualities, softness, durability and improved safety for players. Sports balls with these qualities are able withstand repeated impacts that occur during training while also being less likely to cause injury upon impact and accordingly are better suited for training.
Injuries are one of the big obstacles to overcome in getting young people involved in sports. This is especially true for sports that involve playing with balls that have hard covers or hard outer surfaces. It is not unusual in such sports for inexperienced players to either misdirect the ball so that it strikes someone else or to lose track of the flight of the ball and inadvertently be struck by it. Each of these circumstances can result is significant injuries to players or bystanders of a sport.
The risk of such injuries can cause novices (especially children) to forego a sport altogether or, in the event that they do try to learn the sport, to have a more difficult time learning the sport due to a fear of being hit. Anxieties among novice players can be detrimental to the growth of popularity of a sport. Lacrosse is an example of a sport the popularity of which is growing but may be limited because it is played with a hard, heavy rubber ball. A lacrosse ball is an example of the type of ball that can cause anxiety in novice players. Some players are less likely to take up a sport such as lacrosse due to the protective equipment required for the game. Lacrosse balls that absorb impacts when they make contact reduce the importance of such protective equipment and thus may encourage greater participation in the sport.
A need exists for a sports training ball that flies and throws as a regulation ball but absorbs impact in the event of a collision. Such sports training balls allow players of the game to train in a safe and confident manner. To meet these requirements a ball needs to meet the specification of the game's governing body with regard to aerodynamic and physical (e.g., weight, air-resistance, and circumference) properties so that the training balls are similar to a ball that would be used in an official competition. However, for training purposes such a ball should absorb impact so as to minimize harm to players if or when they are struck and thereby minimize the anxieties of new players. Furthermore, a sports ball for use in training must be designed and built to maintain impact-absorption and aerodynamic properties through numerous impacts and through tough usage.